Valve for steam-engines



(No Model.)

' P. ARMINGTON.

VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINE-S. I

No. 244,160. Patented July 12, 18 1.1

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PARDON ARMINGTON, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,160, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed May 11, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PARDON ARMINGTON, of Lawrence, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Valves for Steam-Engines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention in valves for steam-engines has for its object to produce a valve by which the steam may be admitted to the cylinder in large quantity and with great rapidity; and it consists, mainly,in the co1nbination,with the usual ports leading to the ends of the cylinder, of a piston-valve, constructed as hereinafter described, to permit the steam to enter at both ends of the said valve simultaneously to pass into the cylinder. The piston-valve works in a valve-cylinder provided with annular channels forming the port-openings of the enginecylinder ports, and the said valve is made with heads fitting and wholly closing the said cylinder, until in its movement one of the said heads passes the edge of the annular channel. Near the ends of the valve are annular openings communicating with one another by longitudinal passages through the body of the valve, and so arranged that when, in the movement of the valve, the head of the piston at one end has begun to uncover or open the port at that end the annular opening of the valve at the same end will also be in communication with the same port, and the annular opening at the other end of the valve will have passed outside the valvecylinder and comeinto communication with the steam-chest, so that the steam will also enter at this end of the valve, through the annular opening, and pass longitudinally through the valve and out of the other annular opening into the steamport, which thus receives steam from both ends of the valve at the same time.

Valves having a balancing-cap and being rectangular in shape have been previously constructed with a longitudinal passage connecting rectangular openings near their ends, the steam being thus introduced to the enginecylinder in a similar manner to that accomplished by the present invention; but it is impossible by such construction to cause as large an amount of steam to enter the cylinder in a given time as by the herein-described valve.

I am aware that a valve having the same (No model.)

construction as that herein described has been previously in use; but the valve-cylinder and ports used in connection therewith were entirely different and were intended to accomplish an entirely diflerent resultviz., the annular openings of the piston-valve were arranged to be in communication with the ports leading to both ends of the engine-cylinder simultaneously, so that the steam can flow through the valve from one end of the cylinder to the other, but steam was admitted from the steam-chest into the engine-cylinder only at one end of the said valve at any one time.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a steam-engine provided with my improved valve; and Fig. 2, a transverse section thereof on line w 00, Fig. 1.

The engine-cylinder a, is shown as provided with the live-steam ports b b and the exhaustport 0, communicating with the valve-cylinder d and controlled by the piston-valve e, operated through the valve-stem f by any suitable or usual valve-gear. The ends 6 e of the valve 6 lit and entirely close the valve-cylinder d, and just within the said heads annular openings 2 3 are formed, connected with one another by longitudinal passages 4 (see Fig. 2) through the middle portion of the valve 0, which is made externally of smaller diameter than the heads 6 e to permit the passage of exhaust-steam into the port 0, in the usual manner.

The ports b b are so arranged relative to the openings 2 3 in the valve that when in the movement in either directionas, for instance, that of the arrow, Fig. 1-one of the said open ings, as 2,is brought into communication with the corresponding port I), the other opening, 3, will remain closed by the walls of the valvecylinder (1 until the end a of the valve has passed beyond the edge of the port I), admitting steam from the steam-chest, when at the same time the head 6 at the other end of the valve will have passed outside of the valve-cylinder d, and steam will be admitted through the opening 3 and permitted to pass through longitudinal passages 4 and out of the opening 2 into the same port, I), which was receiving steam from the steam-chest at the other end of the valve e.

The opening of the ports I) b extends entire- 1y around the inside of the valve-cylinder 11,

and consequently steam is admitted around the entire circumference of the valve 0 and from both ends thereof simultaneously, thus enabling the steam to enter the cylinder with sufficient rapidity to at once raise the pressure therein to that of the boiler and maintain it until cut off by the valve, although the engine may be running at very high speed, so that with portopenings of ordinary size and construction the steam would Wire-draw and its pressure be reduced in passing from the steamchest to the cylinder.

It is obvious that a valve constructed upon a similar principle may be employed merely to control the live-steam ports, the exhaust being controlled by an independent valve.

I claim- 1. In a steam-engine, the combination, with the en gine-cylinder and a live-steam portthere- 1n, of a valve-cylinder and piston-valve therein having annular openings near its ends connected by longitudinal passages through its interior, and arranged relatively to the said valvecylinder and steam-port as described, where- 'by in the travel of the valve the annular opening at one end thereof passes out of its cylinder into communication with the steam-chest when the annular opening at the other end of the valve is in communication with the said port and the latter is being uncovered by the valve, thereby causing steam to be admitted to the port from the steam-chest at both ends of the said valve simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. The engine-cylinder-and live and exhaust steam ports therein, combined with the valvecylinder provided with annular depressions or port-openin gs entirely surrounding the said cylinder and communicating with the said livesteam ports, and the piston-rod therein, having annular openings near its end, connected by longitudinal passages through the middle portion, which is of smaller external diameter than the bore of the valve-cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

PARDON ARMINGTON.

\Vitnesses a H. F. HoPKINs, DANIEL NASON. 

